STOCK TITAN

Allied Gaming (NASDAQ: AGAE) ties CEO guaranty to stock and grants GC up to 3M shares

(Moderate)
(Neutral)
Form Type
8-K

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Allied Gaming & Entertainment Inc. entered into two equity and compensation arrangements with senior executives. The CEO Agreement grants Yangyang Li the conditional right to receive common shares equal to 25% of the Company’s estimated maximum exposure under a US$5,936,738.36 guaranty, divided by a reference price of $0.30 per share. This CEO share issuance requires approval by an independent special committee, a fairness opinion, a majority-of-the-minority stockholder vote, and compliance with Nasdaq rules. Separately, the Company undertook an unconditional obligation to reimburse Mr. Li for any amounts he pays under the guaranty, plus interest at 8.75% per year.

The GC Agreement provides General Counsel Xiao Yundan a conditional equity award of up to 3,000,000 shares of common stock under the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan, with an aggregate value capped at $900,000 using the same $0.30 reference price. These shares would vest 30% at issuance, 35% after six months, and 35% after twelve months, with six‑month post‑vesting lock‑ups and acceleration on certain terminations. Granting the award depends on Compensation Committee and Board approvals, stockholder approval of a plan share increase, and Nasdaq compliance. Both issuances rely on the Section 4(a)(2) private placement exemption and carry no registration rights.

Positive

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Insights

Allied Gaming sets conditional stock awards and a CEO reimbursement backstop tied to a large guaranty.

The company has created a Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement with CEO Yangyang Li linked to a guaranty of an attorneys’ fee award of $5,936,738.36 plus interest. The company must reimburse any payments Mr. Li makes under this guaranty at a simple rate of 8.75% per year, and this obligation is effective immediately and independent of any share issuance.

Equity compensation is central: the CEO may receive shares valued using a $0.30 volume‑weighted average price, subject to approval by an independent special committee, a fairness opinion, minority stockholder support, and Nasdaq compliance. The General Counsel could receive up to 3,000,000 shares capped at $900,000 in value, with staged vesting and lock‑ups, contingent on compensation committee and Board approvals and a stockholder‑approved increase in the equity plan’s share reserve.

Overall, the arrangements formalize back‑to‑back protection for the CEO while adding potential dilution through unregistered, privately placed equity awards. Actual equity issuance and its scale depend on committee and stockholder decisions at the next annual or a possible special meeting, as well as final Board determinations within the plan framework.

Item 1.01 Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement Business
The company signed a significant contract such as a merger agreement, credit facility, or major partnership.
Item 3.02 Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities Securities
The company sold equity securities in a private placement or other unregistered transaction.
Item 5.02 Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers Governance
Key personnel changes including departures, elections, or appointments of directors and executive officers.
Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits Exhibits
Financial statements, pro forma financial information, and exhibit attachments filed with this report.
Guaranty amount $5,936,738.36 Attorneys’ fee award guaranteed to Knighted Pastures, LLC
Reimbursement interest rate 8.75% per annum Simple interest on amounts the CEO pays under the guaranty
Reference share price $0.30 per share Approximate 30‑day VWAP used for CEO and GC share valuations
GC Award share cap 3,000,000 shares Maximum number of common shares under the General Counsel award
GC Award value cap $900,000 Maximum aggregate value of GC Award Shares at $0.30 per share
GC vesting schedule 30% / 35% / 35% Vests at issuance, 6 months, and 12 months from issuance date
Lock-up period 6 months Restriction on transfers after each GC Award vesting date
Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement financial
"entered into a Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement (the “CEO Agreement”)"
Guaranty financial
"under that certain Guaranty, dated as of April 10, 2026, by the Company and Mr. Li"
A guaranty is a legal promise by one party (the guarantor) to pay or perform if another party fails to meet its debt or contractual obligation — like a co-signer who steps in when the borrower can’t pay. For investors, a guaranty lowers the chance that a bond, loan or contract will go unpaid, can improve credit assessments and borrowing terms, and gives a clearer sense of how secure expected returns are if the primary obligor runs into trouble.
Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act regulatory
"issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act"
A legal exemption that allows a company to sell securities directly to a limited group of buyers without registering the offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Think of it like a private sale among known parties rather than a public auction: it can speed fundraising and reduce disclosure requirements, but it also means less public information, lower liquidity and resale restrictions—factors investors should consider when weighing risk and exit options.
2019 Equity Incentive Plan financial
"GC Award of up to 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock under the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan"
volume-weighted average price financial
"representing the approximate thirty (30) trading day volume-weighted average price of the Common Stock"
Volume-weighted average price (VWAP) is the average price of a stock over a specific time period where each trade is weighted by the number of shares traded, so larger trades influence the average more than small ones. Investors and traders use VWAP as a reference point to judge whether trades are happening at relatively good or poor prices—like checking the average price paid for an item at a market where bulk purchases count more than single-item buys.
lock-up restriction financial
"The GC Agreement also imposes a lock-up restriction prohibiting the General Counsel from transferring"
A lock-up restriction is a rule that prevents certain people involved in a company from selling their shares for a set period after a company goes public or raises new funding. This helps stabilize the company's stock price by limiting early sales that could cause large fluctuations. Investors pay attention to these restrictions because once they expire, there may be a surge in shares available for sale, which can impact the stock's value.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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FAQ

What is Allied Gaming & Entertainment (AGAE) agreeing to reimburse its CEO for?

Allied Gaming & Entertainment must reimburse CEO Yangyang Li for any amounts he pays under a joint guaranty of an attorneys’ fee award of US$5,936,738.36 plus accrued interest, paying him back with simple interest at 8.75% per year on reimbursed amounts.

How is the CEO share issuance under the AGAE CEO Agreement calculated?

The CEO share issuance equals 25% of the company’s estimated maximum aggregate exposure under the guaranty divided by US$0.30 per share. The US$0.30 figure reflects the approximate 30‑day volume‑weighted average price of AGAE’s common stock before the guaranty’s benchmark date.

What approvals are required before Allied Gaming (AGAE) can issue shares to its CEO?

Issuance to the CEO requires a special committee of independent directors, an independent fairness opinion or written financial analysis, approval by a majority of voting stockholders including a majority of non‑Li holders, and compliance with applicable Nasdaq listing rules before any shares are delivered.

What are the main terms of the General Counsel equity award at AGAE?

The General Counsel may receive up to 3,000,000 shares of common stock valued in total at no more than US$900,000 using a US$0.30 reference price. Vesting is 30% at issuance, 35% after six months, and 35% after twelve months, with accelerated vesting on certain terminations.

What conditions must be met before Allied Gaming (AGAE) issues the General Counsel’s award shares?

Conditions include Compensation Committee recommendation, Board approval with a majority of independent directors, stockholder approval of an increase to the 2019 Equity Incentive Plan share reserve sufficient to cover the award, and compliance with Nasdaq rules. No shares issue until all these conditions are satisfied.

Under what securities law exemption will AGAE issue the CEO and General Counsel shares?

Both the CEO share issuance and the General Counsel award shares will be issued in reliance on the private offering exemption in Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933. The company is not granting any registration rights for these shares under the agreements described.
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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 8-K

 

CURRENT REPORT

 

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE

SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Date of Report (date of earliest event reported): May 2, 2026

 

ALLIED GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT INC.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Delaware

001-38226

82-1659427

(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation)

(Commission File No.)

(IRS Employer Identification No.)

 

745 Fifth Avenue, Suite 500

New York, New York 10151

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

 

(646) 768-4240

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

 

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class

Trading Symbol(s)

Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered

Common Stock, par value $0.0001 per share

AGAE

NASDAQ

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2) of this chapter:

Emerging growth company

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

 

 

Item 1.01     Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement.

CEO Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement. On May 2, 2026, Allied Gaming & Entertainment Inc. (the “Company”) and Yangyang Li, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, in his personal capacity (“Mr. Li”), entered into a Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement (the “CEO Agreement”). The CEO Agreement provides for (i) the issuance to Mr. Li, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, of shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $0.0001 per share (the “Common Stock”), in recognition of Mr. Li’s personal guaranty of the Company’s settlement obligations to Knighted Pastures, LLC and (ii) an unconditional obligation of the Company, effective from the date of the CEO Agreement, to reimburse and indemnify Mr. Li, on a back-to-back basis, in respect of any amounts paid by Mr. Li under such guaranty.

Share Issuance to Mr. Li. Subject to the satisfaction or waiver of the conditions described below, the Company will issue to Mr. Li (the “CEO Share Issuance”) a number of shares of Common Stock equal to twenty-five percent (25%) of the Company’s estimated maximum aggregate exposure under the Guaranty (as defined below) divided by $0.30 per share, which represents the approximate thirty (30) trading day volume-weighted average price of the Common Stock through the trading day immediately preceding the date of the Guaranty (as described below). The CEO Share Issuance is conditioned upon (i) the establishment of a special committee of independent and disinterested directors of the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Special Committee”) and the Special Committee’s approval of the transactions and amounts contemplated by the CEO Agreement, with the assistance of independent legal counsel and an independent financial advisor; (ii) receipt by the Special Committee of a written fairness opinion or other written financial analysis from such financial advisor; (iii) approval of the CEO Agreement and the CEO Share Issuance by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the shares of Common Stock present in person or by proxy and entitled to vote thereon, including a majority of the shares of Common Stock held by stockholders other than Mr. Li and his affiliates and associated persons; and (iv) compliance with applicable Nasdaq listing rules. The shares issued in the CEO Share Issuance will be issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and no registration rights are being granted with respect to such shares.

 

 

Reimbursement Obligation. Separately, the CEO Agreement provides for the Company’s reimbursement and indemnification of Mr. Li, on a back-to-back basis, in respect of amounts paid by Mr. Li under that certain Guaranty, dated as of April 10, 2026, by the Company and Mr. Li, as guarantors, in favor of Knighted Pastures, LLC, as beneficiary (the “Guaranty”), pursuant to which the Company and Mr. Li jointly and severally guaranteed payment to Knighted Pastures, LLC of an attorneys’ fee award of US$5,936,738.36 plus accrued interest. If Mr. Li makes any payment under the Guaranty, or incurs any liability, loss, cost or expense in respect of the Guaranty or its enforcement against him, the Company is required to reimburse Mr. Li in such amount, together with interest at a simple rate of 8.75% per annum. The Company’s reimbursement obligation is a separate, independent and unconditional obligation of the Company that is effective from the date of the CEO Agreement, is not contingent upon the consummation of the CEO Share Issuance or the satisfaction of any of the conditions described above, and will survive any termination of the CEO Agreement.

The foregoing description of the CEO Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the CEO Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

General Counsel Share Issuance Agreement. On May 2, 2026, the Company and Xiao Yundan, the Company’s General Counsel, in her personal capacity (the “General Counsel”), entered into a Share Issuance Agreement (the “GC Agreement”). The GC Agreement provides for the grant and issuance to the General Counsel, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, of an equity award (the “GC Award”) of up to 3,000,000 shares of Common Stock under the Company’s 2019 Equity Incentive Plan (as amended, the “Plan”), as compensatory equity intended to (i) partially address a determined gap between the General Counsel’s prior cash compensation levels and prevailing market compensation for general counsel of similarly situated publicly listed companies, (ii) recognize the General Counsel’s expanded responsibilities and ongoing contributions to the Company, and (iii) promote retention.

Share Issuance to the General Counsel. The aggregate value of the GC Award Shares shall not exceed US$900,000 (with each such share issued valued at $0.30, representing the approximate thirty (30) day trading volume-weighted average price of the Common Stock through the trading day immediately preceding April 10, 2026, the benchmark date used for the CEO Share Issuance), with the final aggregate value and corresponding final number of GC Award Shares to be determined by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) (or the Compensation Committee of the Board (the “Compensation Committee”), as applicable) in its discretion not later than three Business Days prior to the closing of the GC Award. Subject to the General Counsel’s continued service with the Company through each applicable vesting date and to the terms of the Plan and the applicable award agreement issued thereunder, the GC Award Shares will vest as follows: (i) thirty percent (30%) on the date of issuance; (ii) thirty-five percent (35%) on the six-month anniversary of the date of issuance; and (iii) the remaining thirty-five percent (35%) on the twelve-month anniversary of the date of issuance. Vesting will be accelerated upon termination without cause or resignation with good reason. The GC Agreement also imposes a lock-up restriction prohibiting the General Counsel from transferring the GC Award Shares (subject to customary permitted transfer exceptions) for a period of six months following each applicable vesting date.

 

 

Conditions to Issuance. The grant and issuance of the GC Award Shares is conditioned upon (i) the recommendation of the GC Award by the Compensation Committee in accordance with the terms of the Plan, (ii) the subsequent approval of the GC Award by the Board (with a majority of the independent directors voting in favor) following such recommendation, (iii) the approval by the Company’s stockholders of an amendment to the Plan to increase the authorized share reserve thereunder by an amount sufficient to cover the GC Award Shares, and (iv) compliance with applicable Nasdaq listing rules. The Company intends to include the proposed amendment to the Plan in the proxy statement for its next annual meeting of stockholders (or at a special meeting, as the Board may determine). No GC Award Shares will be issued unless and until each of these conditions has been satisfied. The GC Award Shares, when issued, will be issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, and no registration rights are being granted with respect to the GC Award Shares.

The foregoing description of the GC Agreement does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of the GC Agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.2 to this Current Report on Form 8-K and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 3.02     Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K with respect to the CEO Share Issuance and the GC Award is incorporated herein by reference. The shares of Common Stock to be issued in the CEO Share Issuance and as the GC Award Shares, when and if issued upon the satisfaction of the conditions described in Item 1.01, will be issued in reliance upon the exemption from registration provided by Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act, based on representations made by Mr. Li in the CEO Agreement and by the General Counsel in the GC Agreement, respectively.

Item 5.02(e)     Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers.

The information set forth under Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K with respect to the CEO Agreement and the GC Agreement is incorporated herein by reference. The CEO Agreement, including the Company’s reimbursement obligation thereunder (which is effective from the date of the CEO Agreement) and the conditional CEO Share Issuance, may constitute a material arrangement with a named executive officer of the Company required to be reported pursuant to Item 5.02(e) of Form 8-K. The GC Agreement may constitute a material compensatory arrangement with an officer of the Company required to be reported pursuant to Item 5.02(e) of Form 8-K to the extent applicable.

Item 9.01    Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Exhibit No. Description
10.1 Share Issuance and Reimbursement Agreement, dated as of May 2, 2026, by and between Allied Gaming & Entertainment Inc. and Yangyang Li.
10.2 Share Issuance Agreement, dated as of May 2, 2026, by and between Allied Gaming & Entertainment Inc. and Yundan Xiao.
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document).

 

 

 

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

ALLIED GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT, INC.

By: /s/ Roy Anderson  
Name: Roy Anderson  
Title: Chief Financial Officer  

 

Date: May 4, 2026

 

Filing Exhibits & Attachments

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